Unconscious, stripped, and mocked: White & Case employee lodges shocking legal claims

Referred to in court documents as “John Doe”, the employee worked as a digital production specialist and alleges that at a firm retreat, he was “stripped naked” and photographed by his supervisor while unconscious, and later endured years of ridicule from colleagues.

The Bronx County Supreme Court heard that the alleged incident occurred one evening in February 2023, while Doe attended a White & Case event in Palm Springs, California.

During the firm event, the court heard that Doe became “unconscious” and was escorted to a hotel room by his supervisor, referred to as “John Doe Manager”, and other employees, with text messages from a White & Case employee confirming he was “throwing up” and “completely white and note responding”.

Once in the hotel room, it is alleged that while Doe was unconscious, the manager, and “potentially other colleagues”, removed his clothes, leaving him “stripped naked”, and photographed his body without consent.

According to the complaint, what followed was a deeply humiliating ordeal, as Doe remained unaware that the images existed or had been circulating among firm employees and managers for “nearly three years”.

It wasn’t until January 2026, at a White & Case event in a London bar, that a colleague allegedly showed Doe the photos on his phone, grabbed his neck, and, while touching his genitals, told him, “If I were gay … I would be proud of it.”

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Returning to the firm’s employees, still “disgusted and shocked”, Doe alleged that the colleague was showing the photo to another employee, “laughing together”, mocking him about the “size of his anatomy”, and even making comments that he had a “micropenis”.

In the filed complaint, Doe explained that he reported the incident to firm leadership “promptly” after it occurred, noting that even White & Case’s chief operating officer went to the bar that same night and told the colleague showing the photos to leave.

However, the complaint alleges that despite promising to address the situation, the firm “failed to conduct a thorough and independent investigation or take appropriate remedial action”.

“Rather than rectifying this egregious violation, White & Case has shielded the perpetrators, conducted a sham internal investigation, and retaliated against [the] plaintiff for speaking out,” according to the complaint.

Equally troubling, Doe claims that after coming forward, he was allegedly denied paid leave and forced to continue working in close proximity to those he accused of abusing him.

Ultimately, he said he had no choice but to take disability leave and is now seeking medical treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe anxiety.

The lawsuit outlines multiple legal claims, including hostile work environment, gender discrimination, retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and unlawful dissemination of intimate images.

Among the remedies sought, John Doe is asking the court to award both compensatory and punitive damages, order the removal of the images from all White & Case devices, and mandate that the firm implement comprehensive harassment and discrimination training.

“We’re aware of this matter and while we take all such allegations seriously, these claims are baseless and we intend to defend them vigorously through the appropriate process. White & Case is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful and inclusive workplace, and we have robust policies and procedures in place to support the high standards we have for our people and our Firm."